AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I flopped onto our bed, lying facedown as tears took over again. Maybe I just needed to wait—give him some time to calm down and come to his senses. Alex had always been cool and rational in his thinking… Except when he was truly upset.
Like now.
I rolled over and sat up, convinced the best thing to do was wait. I’d wait for him to cool off, come home, and then we’d have a long rational conversation about Mariah, those fucking pictures, why he never told me they’d slept together, and above all else, that he was the only man I wanted to be with. Period.
I slid off the bed and went back to work on the closet, eager to get back on track and keep busy while I waited.
About ten minutes later, I still hadn’t stopped crying, and every passing minute felt like an hour. When my phone dinged again, signaling another text, it sent a shiver down my spine. I wanted it to be Alex, telling me that he was coming home so we could talk. But something told me it wasn’t him.
I looked at the screen and my blood turned to ice.
Mariah:He’s here and so upset. But, don’t worry… I’ll make him feel better.
CHAPTER5
Brooke
NOW
By the timedinner had ended, I had no idea how I’d made it through. The fact that my past was staring me in the face had finally sunken in.
We moved into the living room, joined by about seventy-five of Robert and Lillian’s closest friends. According to Liam, his parents had meant for dinner to be more of an intimate affair so they could get in some real face time with Alex and me, and now it was on to the larger party.
Servers arrived, carrying around trays of champagne, wine, and cocktails. Scrumptious hors d’oeuvres floated around, but I was too full and bordering on nauseous to eat anything.
Alex and Leah worked the room like the power couple they were. I watched them from the corner of my eye as Liam walked me around and introduced me to his various colleagues and acquaintances. We were a good couple, but Alex and Leah? They were perfect. He was charming and still had that mysterious aura about him, and she was sassy and aloof—a match made in heaven.
As Liam entertained a short, balding man in a beige suit with a story, I found myself distracted by Mariah. The mention of her name had gone from feeling like a tiny sting to a gaping wound.
The memory of the day she’d ruined Alex and me—the day I’d started packing for our next adventure and found those fucking photos—was replaying in my mind on a loop. Every time I blinked, I saw red lace and felt even sicker to my stomach.
Was Alex feeling anything like this? Was he as okay as he appeared to be? Because,fuck, he seemed perfectly fine.
“Honey?” Liam said, startling me.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Mr. Connor wanted to know if you’ve ever been skiing.”
I looked at beige-suit-guy—er—Mr. Connor, trying my best to focus. “No, I grew up in LA and never made my way anywhere snowy.”
“You have to try it,” Mr. Connor said. “The wife and I must have you come out to our cottage in Vale.”
I smiled, still clocking Alex and Leah over Mr. Connor’s shoulder. “Sounds great.”
“Sure does,” Liam said.
“And Alex and Leah will have to come, too,” Mr. Connor said.
“Perfect,” Liam replied. “I expect we’ll be spending a lot of time together.
Holy shit.How had I not realized it before? If I was with Liam and Leah was about to marry Alex, we wouldallbe family. I’d have to spend every family get-together with my ex and his amazing new wife.
The roiling in my stomach suddenly proved too much to bear. I excused myself and bolted for the bathroom down the hall. I needed a minute to regroup and collect myself, possibly puke, and push the awful images of Mariah out of my fucking brain.
Closing the bathroom door behind me, I stopped at the pedestal sink, bracing my hands on either side and staring at my pale reflection in the mirror. The cold porcelain helped cool the clammy heat racing through me.
But it wasn’t enough.
